Iran leader says protesters are vandals trying to please Trump

Iran leader says protesters are vandals trying to please Trump4 hours agoShareSaveMallory MoenchShareSaveOffice of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (seen in a file photo) called protesters “troublemakers” Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called anti-government protesters “troublemakers” who are trying “to please the president of the US”.
Iran also sent sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council blaming the US for turning the protests into what it called “violent subversive acts and widespread vandalism” in Iran. Trump, meanwhile, said Iran was “in big trouble”.
The protests, in their 13th day, erupted over the economy and have grown into the largest in years – leading to calls for an end to the Islamic Republic and some urging the restoration of the monarchy.
At least 48 protesters and 14 security personnel have been killed, according to human rights groups.
An internet blackout is ..

Continue Reading

Anger and outrage spills onto Minneapolis streets after ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Good

As anger and outrage spilled out onto Minneapolis’ streets Thursday over the fatal shooting of a woman the day before by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, a new shooting by federal officers in Oregon left two people wounded and elicited more scrutiny of enforcement operations across the U.S.
Hundreds of people protesting the shooting of Renee Good marched in freezing rain at night down one of Minneapolis’ major thoroughfares, chanting “ICE out now” and holding signs saying, “killer ice off our streets.” Protesters earlier vented their outrage outside a federal facility that is serving as a hub for the administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major city.
The shooting in Portland, Oregon, took place outside a hospital in the afternoon. A man and woman were shot inside a vehicle, and their conditions were not immediately known. The FBI and the Oregon Department of Justice were investigating. Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on ICE to end all operation..

Continue Reading

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv and Lviv struck by drones and missiles after Zelensky warns of ‘massive’ attack

CloseZelensky warns Russia is 'betting on winter warfare' as new attack loomsAt least three people were killed after Russia launched a major offensive on Ukraine with drones and missiles overnight into Friday, Ukrainian officials said.
Russian forces struck critical infrastructure in the western city of Lviv using an unidentified ballistic missile, said mayor Andriy Sadoviy.
The Western Command of Ukraine's Air Force later said the missile traveled at a speed of 13,000km (more than 8,000 miles) per hour, and that the specific type of rocket was being investigated.
Just hours earlier, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky alerted the nation about Russia's intention to launch a large-scale offensive and urged people to take shelter when asked.
Zelensky has accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of being intent on using wintry weather as a weapon rather than working towards a diplomatic resolution of nearly four years of conflict.
Russian drone strikes knocked out powe..

Continue Reading

Watch: Buildings in Tehran set on fire as demonstrations spread across Iran

Watch: Buildings in Tehran set on fire as demonstrations spread across IranFootage verified by BBC Persian shows buildings on fire in the Iranian capital, Tehran, as anti-government protests spread across the country.
Video from the the 12th consecutive day of national unrest shows mosques in the Gholhak and Sa'adat Abad neighbourhoods of Tehran on fire.
Frustration over the collapse of Iran's currency has triggered demonstrations in more than 100 cities and towns across all 31 of Iran's provinces, according to human rights groups.
2 hours agoMiddle EastIranShareSaveBethlehem Christmas tree illuminated for first time since Gaza war beganHundreds gathered in Manger Square to bask in the festivities that included music, dancing and Santas bearing sweet treats.
Middle EastPopemobile becomes a mobile health clinic for Gaza childrenThe vehicle had transported the late Pope Francis on a visit to Bethlehem in 2014.
Middle EastGazan babies will die without aid – UN humanitarian..

Continue Reading

Huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities, videos show

Huge anti-government protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities, videos show5 hours agoShareSaveDavid GrittenShareSaveWatch: Protests break out in Iran's capital city TehranHuge crowds of protesters have been marching through Iran's capital and other cities, videos show, in what is said to be the largest show of force by opponents of the clerical establishment in years.
The peaceful demonstrations in Tehran and the second city of Mashhad on Thursday evening, which were not dispersed by security forces, can be seen in footage verified by BBC Persian.
Later, a monitoring group reported a nationwide internet blackout.
Protesters can be heard in the footage calling for the overthrow of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the return of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the late former shah, who had urged his supporters to take to the streets.
It was the 12th consecutive day of unrest that has been sparked by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency and has ..

Continue Reading

U.S. vows to control Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ after UK helps Trump seize two tankers: Live updates

ClosePutin sends navy escort as Trump ‘plans to seize’ banned Venezuelan oil tankerU.S. officials say the Trump administration plans to control Venezuela's oil indefinitely in order to force the country to act in America's interests.
Energy Secretary Wright said the U.S. would market stored Venezuelan oil first and then sell future production indefinitely, with revenues deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S.President Donald Trump has also announced that Venezuela will only purchase “American-made” products with the money made from its oil deal with America.
The U.S. seized two sanctioned Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday in an operation that also involved the British armed forces. The Ministry of Defence said the U.S. asked Britain for assistance, and RAF surveillance aircraft and a Royal Navy support ship took part in the seizure.
The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. military special forces, bearing a judicial seizure warrant, apprehended the M..

Continue Reading

At least two dead in shooting at LDS church in Salt Lake City as police hunt for suspects

At least two people have been killed and six others injured during a shooting Wednesday evening at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to authorities.
Of those injured, three are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department said. Police spokesperson Glen Mills told The Salt Lake Tribune the conditions of the other three people are unknown because they were transported to the hospital in private cars.
Authorities say a fight broke out in the parking lot of the church during a funeral, which erupted into gunfire, per ABC 7 Chicago. Police were called to the church at around 7:30 p.m. local time.
Police are currently searching for suspects in the shooting.
“The suspects are still outstanding, but our officers have obtained solid leads and are working to locate those involved,” Salt Lake City police wrote on X Wednesday night.
open image in galleryAt least two people have been killed and six others injured during a..

Continue Reading

US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis

US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis52 minutes agoShareSaveSakshi VenkatramanShareSaveWatch: Police chief describes how Minneapolis shooting unfoldedA US immigration agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in the city of Minneapolis, sparking a war of words as local officials rejected the Trump administration's account that it was self-defence.
The Department of Homeland Security said the woman, Renee Nicole Good, was a “violent rioter” who tried to run over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying”, telling ICE officials in expletive-laced remarks to leave the city.
Hundreds of ICE agents have been deployed to the city as part of the White House's nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
Videos posted to social media by onlookers appear to show the moment of the shooting, which occurred around 10:25 local time on Wednesday morning…

Continue Reading

US seizes two ‘shadow fleet’ tankers linked to Venezuelan oil

US seizes two 'shadow fleet' tankers linked to Venezuelan oil7 hours agoShareSaveJaroslav LukivandAna Faguy,on Capitol Hill in Washington DCShareSaveWatch: Video shows moment US seize oil tanker in Caribbean seaThe United States says it has seized two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil exports in “back-to-back” operations in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.
US forces boarded the Russian-flagged Marinera after a pursuit lasting almost two weeks as it travelled through the waters between Iceland and Scotland. The UK Royal Navy gave logistical support by air and sea.
A second tanker – the M/T Sophia – was accused by the US of “conducting illicit activities” and boarded in the Caribbean.
The moves come as the US seeks to choke off most exports of Venezuelan crude oil, and just days after its special forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a lightning raid on his residence in Caracas.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X: “The blockade of sanctioned and illici..

Continue Reading

JD Vance posts bigoted sombrero meme mocking Democrats holding vigil to Jan 6 Capitol violence

Vice President JD Vance has posted a bigoted meme mocking Congressional Democrats who were holding a candlelight vigil to remember the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In an X post, Vance’s post edited images of sombreros onto a freeze-frame of Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries with their colleagues on the Capitol steps Tuesday. Democrats were marking five years since the riot that saw police officers beaten and government property destroyed.
On that day, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building as Congress held a joint session to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win. The failed attempt to overturn the results and keep Trump in office came after the president and his allies repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the election was stolen from him.
Vance’s meme riffs off those Trump circulated last fall. At the time, Republicans were baselessly claiming Democrats were refusing to support a spendin..

Continue Reading